Fire crews were called to two house fires in Middlesbrough today - both sparked by unattended cookers and involving missing or defective smoke alarms.

Firefighters from Middlesbrough were called to an elderly man's smoke-logged home in Whinney Banks Road soon after 8am.

They discovered the battery had been removed from a ground floor smoke alarm - luckily the man was alerted by the smoke alarm on the upper floor.

The crews were then immediately sent to a fire in Wicklow Street in the town centre.

There was no smoke alarm in the house.

Station Officer Bill Hatfield, of Middlesbrough fire station, said: "The significant things were both fires were started in food left unattended in cookers and both had some problem with the smoke alarms."

* You can get a free home visit by fire crews to talk about a fire safety plan and have smoke alarms fitted by calling your local fire station.